


Eye of the Tiger

by Krackaye



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gabriel - Freeform, Gen, Inner Demons, M/M, a little trauma, castiel - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-06-08 22:44:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6877603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krackaye/pseuds/Krackaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam and Dean have had enough of John and decide to move and live the life they should've from the beginning.<br/>Can Dean handle the change?<br/>Escaping John had been easier compared to what he was going through as he tried to adjust into a life he always wanted but never thought he could have.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sam and Dean finally stand up to their father. California and the sun will do them both good. Getting away from John was all that mattered.

“If only mom was here. She wouldn’t let him get away with it. Hell, he wouldn’t have even thought of doing the things he did. There was no way this would’ve happened if only mom…” Dean had been sitting on the floor of the kitchen. He wasn’t sure how long he sat there or why he didn’t just get up, instead he was stuck in the spot thinking about what could’ve been. Thinking about his mother, who he only remembered by a small picture he kept hidden from his father. He could still remember seeing her stuck to the ceiling, being burned alive, screaming and screaming. That awful scream still woke him up at nights, especially after a huge fight with John, his father.

He imagined scenarios where his mother hadn’t burned alive by a yellow eyed demon. The love that he and Sam, his younger brother, would’ve gotten. A place they could call their own, unlike this hovel they were forced to live in until their father was done with his hunt and decided to go after another creature that ran wild in the night. The place was a dump, honestly. Scarcely furnished, but who needed beds anyways when you never slept more than a 3 hours a day? He tried to imagine walking into a house that smelled like cookies. To see his mom standing in the kitchen making dinner with the dining table set and ready for them. If their mother was alive they wouldn’t have had to starve when their father went on long hunting trips. If she was alive he wouldn’t have had to give up his childhood to make his father happy. He wouldn’t have to suffer at his father’s hands. If she was alive, John wouldn’t be the father he is now.

  
He was jolted from his reverie when he heard the front door to the small apartment open.

“Dean! Guess what?!” Sam came tromping towards the kitchen with a goofy grin that slowly died as he saw Dean.

“Dad?” he asked in a hushed tone.

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. I can handle it. I’m a big boy now Sammy” he stood from his spot on the floor by the refrigerator where he’d been sitting for the past forty-five minutes.

“Dean…” Dean knew what was coming and he tried to change the topic before Sam had the chance to start again on a never ending conversation that would eventually end up with one of them stomping out the front door.

“What did you have to say before?” and he knew he asked the right question because he saw the instant change in Sam’s face.

“The letter finally came in!” Sam exclaimed and just like that, Dean could feel the color run from his face. He hadn’t expected that. He’d thought he had more time to convince Sam.

“Did you…?” he nodded at the envelope in Sam’s hand.

“I don’t know. Haven’t opened it yet” Dean could feel the nervousness pouring off Sam as he played with the envelope in his hand. Flipping it over and over until Dean couldn’t handle it.

“Open it, Dammit!”

“Um, yea…ok” as he watched his brother fumble with the letter, Dean couldn’t help but think about his own future and what it held for him.

“I…I GOT IN!!” Sam exclaimed. He’d started hopping around like a little kid who’d gotten his favorite candy.  
Dean forced himself to put on a happy face and held his brother tight in a bear hug. “I’m so proud of you Sammy. I knew you’d get in. Now you can become a famous lawyer kick some criminal butts.”

Sam held on just as tightly, voicing the thoughts he’s been having since he applied to Stanford, “You should come with me.” He could feel Dean turn into a statue against him and he pulled back to look at his face properly.

“I mean it Dean, come with me. We can get away from this. This isn’t living. California will do us both good.”  
Dean looked at his brother with a look of disbelief, “Sammy, you know I can’t leave. Dad needs me. Needs us, but you need Stanford.” It hurt to say it but he knew what his brother needed and he would do anything for him. He’s proven that on more than a couple occasions. Everything and anything to make Sam happy.

“He doesn’t need anyone. Especially you. He doesn’t deserve you and he treats you like shit! Dean please, come with me.” Sam wasn’t letting up on the topic anytime soon and Dean found himself thinking about life away from their father. A life full of happiness and a family he could call his own.

NO! He couldn’t afford to think like that. There was no way. He had no choice but to look after his father even if his father wanted nothing to do with him. He needed to believe that his father needed him around, even if it was only for the food and cleaning after his mess.

“You can’t just let him run your life, Dean! You’re your own person. Make your own goddamn decisions for once! You can’t please him and you and I both know it, so stop trying!!” He threw his hands in the air, clearly frustrated by Dean’s stubbornness.

“Saaamm…?” a slurred voice came from the hallway behind Sam.  
Dean looked up to see the man who’d put a huge shiner on his face only an hour ago, come stumbling into the kitchen.  
Their father was home.


	2. Chapter 2

“Sammy?’’ their father slurred.

“Hey Dad’’ Sam replied, avoiding their fathers gaze.

“What is that?’’ he asked pointing to the letter Sam still held in his hand.

“I got into Stanford’’

“Why did you apply to Stanford? It’s too far. You’re not going.’’

“Dad,” Dean started.

“You shut it! You don’t speak ‘till I tell you to!” John shouted in his face, taking a huge step toward his eldest son.

“Back off, Dad!” Sam tried to get between his father and his brother, but his father did not budge and instead, continued to glare at Dean.

“The next time you speak without my permission, I’ll leave your sorry ass for the demons. Hell, I’d invite them with open arms. You hear me?!” John emphasized his point by shoving Dean to the side and taking a step towards the kitchen.

He reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a beer and some leftover food from last night’s takeout. “You’re not going Sam. That’s final. You’re mom would’ve wanted you to stay.”

“Don’t you dare bring mom into this! If she were here she’d know how to take care of her sons. She would know what I wanted and what Dean wanted. We wouldn’t even be having this argument if she was here! You wouldn’t have forced me or Dean into the ‘family business’ or whatever the hell you want to call it! Your thirst for revenge blinded you for years but I’m done with this bullshit. I can’t stand to be in the same room as you. You’re telling me to consider what mom would say about me going to Stanford? Maybe the real question you should be asking is what mom would say if she were here, looking at your sorry drunk ass, treating your sons like crap!”

It was like the weight was lifted off his shoulder and he was finally free. He’d finally said all the things he’d been holding onto for years.

He should’ve expected it. Should’ve seen it coming as soon as he’d started to talk, but he just felt so light at the moment that he’d let his guard down. John had turned and made his way over to where Sam was standing and managed to land a punch right under his left eye before either of the brothers could move. Sam could feel his ear ringing as he grabbed onto the dining table to avoid falling and getting more hurt.

Dean was at his fathers throat in a single stride and was using his full height to stand over him. He brought his face mere inches from his fathers and the anger pouring out of him was palpable. The rage in his eyes would’ve made any sane person back down but John was not sane and would never back down.

In all the years growing up with John, Sam was never at the receiving end of his punches. Dean always made sure that he never once laid a finger on Sam.

“The next time you so much as even think about touching Sam, I’ll make sure that you pay for it. Hell will be a walk in the park once I’m done with you, and we all know you’re definitely not getting past the pearly gates up there. Just remember, I also have a gun and I know how to use it. You’ve been on hunts with me and you know I never miss. Remember that.” Dean turned to his brother then, who stood stock-still, shocked at his brother standing up to their father the way he did.

For as long as Sam could remember, Dean had never said anything to their father. Instead he would take the words, the slurs and the beatings. Not only that, he’d take Sam’s share of punches and kicks. Not once did Dean make a noise. He took it with stride. It had bothered Sam, watching his older brother suffer at the hands of their father, but he couldn’t do much growing up and he seemed to realize that he couldn’t do anything now. This was his brother’s fight. He’d be there but Dean needed to do this himself.

Dean turned and looked at Sam, “Pack your bags, we’re leaving right now. I don’t want to stay in this hovel for another moment” and with that he made his way out of the kitchen and into the living room where all their stuff was. He started packing, throwing things that he deemed important as Sam watched, still caught a little off guard.

John cursed at them both but knew better than to start a fight. He walked out of the kitchen, still cursing and stomped out of the front door, slamming it extra hard to let them know exactly how he felt.

Packing wasn’t hard and it didn’t take more than 10 mins for them to put everything in the trunk of Dean’s ’67 Chevy Impala, that he lovingly named Baby. They didn’t have much that they could all “theirs” because in their line of work they couldn’t afford to be distracted at anytime.

With nothing but Baby, a trunk full of weapons and some clothes, the brothers set out to see what California held for them.

 


	3. Chapter 3

“What the hell are you eating? Rabbit food? That’s not going to fill you up” Dean said as he sat down at the table with his own plate piled with four different flavored pies.

“That’s not food either, Dean. That’s diabetes on a plate” Sam replied, happy with his bowl of salad.

It’s been two weeks since they arrived in Stanford and currently they were sitting a cozy dinner having a small brunch. They still had over a month before Sam started his classes so the brothers were doing something they hadn’t done in a long time, and that was relaxing. With the money they had, they were renting a small two bedroom apartment a couple miles from the University. The apartment came furnished since the last tenants left in a hurry and didn’t take anything with them. Both brothers were happy to be finally sleeping on real beds in their own rooms.

Dean still slept with a gun under his pillow. A habit he knew that would be hard to break. In all honesty, he didn’t want to break it. He’s seen and hunted enough evil to know that being cautious was absolutely necessary. They might’ve escaped their father, but there were other real live demons out there and they wanted the Winchesters, dead or alive. But for now, Sam and Dean both focused on relaxing while they had the chance.

Sam had never seen Dean so carefree in his life before. His posture is straighter than it used to be around their father. He looked lighter and the way he talked, he sounded lighter too. Sam knew that their past was going to somehow come back and bite them in the ass, but for now he was happy to see his older brother happy. Dean had done nothing but make sure Sam got whatever he wanted, giving him his portion of the food so his little brother wouldn’t starve, making him laugh when things got too out of hand with their father and other little things that let Sam know that even though John didn’t care for him, Dean would always be there for his little Sammy.

“This might be the best pie I’ve had in a while.” Dean moaned and when Sam didn’t reply, he looked up to see him staring, lost in thought.

“Dude” Dean leaned across the table and waved in front of Sam’s face. “The salad can’t be that great that you’re out of it.”

Sam smiled, “I was just thinking about stuff”

“School?” Dean asked as he took another huge bite of his cherry pie.

“No. Just thinking” Sam replied.

“Stop thinking and eat your rabbit food. We’re going to the beach today, remember?” Dean asked enthusiastically.

He knew he hadn’t wanted to come to California in the beginning but after what John had done, he was more than happy to be out of there.  

All of sudden there was a commotion by the entrance and the brothers looked up to see two men arguing about something. Dean turned back around to his pie, not paying much attention until he felt Sam stand up. He turned back around in time to see the bigger man punch the slightly smaller man in the stomach.

He was out of his chair in a blink and was pushing the bigger man out of the way as Sam checked on the other.

“Stay out of this, pretty boy. I got no beef with you” Dean caught a whiff of alcohol on the man’s breath and he was taken back to his  8th birthday.

John had left him in charge of Sam while he was out hunting a vampire nest. Dean had closed his eyes for barely 5 minutes when he heard someone walking inside the motel room they booked for the night. The figure stood still by Sam’s bed, looking down at him, his feature hidden by the dark. John had comeback just in time to scare off the figure. He had yelled and yelled some more, telling him that Sammy was his responsibility. The smell of alcohol emanating through his clothes. That was the first time John had raised his hand and it was definitely not the last.

“I got a beef with you though, Popeye” Dean stood his ground and huffed his chest. “Back off and no one had to get hurt.”

“Castiel here needs to learn his place and that’s the only way he learns” Popeye replied, pointing to the man Sam was now supporting. “You stay out of this or else…” he warned Dean but it seemed as though the threat just went right over Dean’s head.

“Castiel,” Dean emphasized the man’s name, “does not need anyone to tell him his place. So you better run off before I put YOU in YOUR place.”

Popeye took a swing, having heard enough but after years of hunting Demons and Vampires, his reflexes were fast enough that he managed to avoid the punch and instead, land one of his own right in Popeye’s gut.

“You better leave before I get mad, cuz if you think THAT was rough, you won’t be able to handle me once I’m mad” Dean warned and watched as the guy struggled to his feet and finally turned and made his way out the door.

“Dean” Sam called form behind and Dean turned to look at the man, presumably Castiel, who was still slightly bent at the wait. “Can you get the food to go? I’ll take Castiel to the car, see if we have any pain meds in there.”

“Alright. I’ll be out in 5 minutes” and Dean could’ve sworn he heard the softest, “Thank you” as he walked to the counter and had their food packed to go.


	4. Chapter 4

Dean walked out to the parking lot to see Sam standing almost a head taller than Castiel, asking him how he felt.

He wasn’t sure why he had interfered before but something about Popeye had bugged him too much. He reminded Dean a little of his father. The thing he had said that had really set off Dean was his comment about Castiel learning his place. His father had always told him to learn his place. Dean was just a killing machine for his father. Shoot first and don’t even bother with the questions. There were things he regretted but he never said anything, fear of going against his father and the beatings it would lead to. He had followed blindly. But he’s different now. He didn’t have his father breathing down his neck and he, for once, was thinking for himself.

“You ok, buddy?” Dean asked as he got closer to the car and the man standing in front of it. The first thing he noticed were the eyes. A deep cerulean blue. Dean couldn’t look away even if he tried.

“Yea. Thank you for what you did inside. I really appreciate it” Castiel replied, forcing Dean to finally look away and instead focus on his voice instead, which sounded rough but smooth at the same time. “You didn’t have to jump in, but you did and I cannot thank you enough.”

Dean cleared his throat before saying, “it was nothing really. The ass had it coming, better from me than anyone else. My hand was itching anyways. Why was he after you though?”

“I might or might not have said something to him about his mother. Nothing big.” Castiel answered with a sheepish smile. “He started it all though when he pushed me out of the way at the counter.”

Dean laughed and Sam was shocked to hear it. Dean hadn’t laughed in years and it was definitely a change from the scowl he usually wore.

“You cursed out his mother cuz he took your spot?” Dean asked, still laughing.

“Like I said, maybe I did, maybe I didn’t” Castiel seemed as mesmerized by Dean's laugh as Dean was by his eyes. “I’m Castiel by the way.”

“I’m Sam and that’s my brother Dean” Sam extended his hand and shook it with Castiels’. “We can drop you off if you’d like. I mean, I don’t think it’s a good idea to walk too much since you’re still sore.”

“Nah, I’ll be fine. I’ll just call my brother and he’ll come by. Thanks again guys, for everything.” Castiel thanked them once more before he turned and left.

“Well, ok then” Sam was watching as Castiel crossed the street and stood at the street corner talking into his phone, probably calling his brother. He climbed into the car and waited for Dean to get in as well so they could make their way home.

“Can we skip the beach today? I’m really tired all of a sudden” Sam asked Dean when he finally climbed into the driver’s seat.

“Yeah. I’m not feeling it much either now.” Dean pulled out of the parking spot and drove back to their apartment thinking about the blue eyed boy he’d met today.

\--Same day-Night time---

Dean woke with a start. He was soaked in sweat and he tried to get his bearings. It was the same dream again. He’s had it before but it’s been a while since the last.

He remembered being on a hunt with his father and they had been after some rogue werewolves that were on a murder spree in the next town over. His father had told him to be careful, since it was his first hunt. He was only 14 when he came face to face with her. She had seen the gun in his hands and she had instantly dropped to her knees and raised her hands in surrender.

“Please don’t hurt me. Please. I didn’t kill anyone and i won't ever kill. I promise!” she was sobbing at this point. Her whole body shaking, afraid for her life.

He had stared at her as she sat there and begged for him to spare her life. His finger stayed on the trigger but he didn’t pull it. He kept staring. His father walked in and took in the scene before he pulled his gun out and shot her right between the eyes. The silver bullet lodging itself somewhere inside her brain.

Her blood was splattered all over Dean as he stood there and tried to process what had happened. His father watched him for several moments before he dragged him out the house and into the Impala.

“She looked like she was 10” Dean had finally spoken up after they'd traveled a couple miles. He hadn't been able to grasp what he'd seen. He had always known that he would have to hunt and kill but seeing the little girl had made him freeze. She couldn't have been older than Sam and that had made it worse. 

“She was a werewolf. An abomination that should not exist. She was nothing and she wasn’t important” John replied focusing on the road ahead. The almost bored tone he spoke with made Dean turn.

“She was Sammy’s age!” Dean yelled.

“She was a monster. She was probably happy to be free. Stop being a little baby and get your head in the game! You fumbled, you idiot! You do that again and you’re dead. They’ll get you before you get them. You have to be alert!!” John had gotten angrier with every word. The rest of the ride was spent in silence as Dean kept picturing the little girl on her knees, begging for her life.

Dean didn’t speak for a week after that incident but he kept Sammy as close as he could. He had held in his tears for Sammy’s sake, but now, as he sat in his bed, he let the tears slip. It was like a dam had broken because once he started, he couldn’t stop them from spilling down his cheeks.

 


End file.
